General Team Update
The EDLI team has continued our work on different projects, including evaluation of multimodal classrooms, software evaluation, technology loan program, as well as co-developing and evaluating educational interventions with the EDLI faculty fellows. Through our on-going work, we aim at connecting and supporting different stakeholders including students, faculty, and administration to enhance teaching and learning experiences.
Multimodal Classroom Project & Grant
We have continued to analyze data from fall 2021 courses that utilized multimodal instruction, including in the classrooms outfitted specifically for multimodal courses by IT. Faculty interviews were analyzed so that the team can next develop a guide for faculty looking to do multimodal instruction on campus.
We also submitted an application to the Spencer Foundation large education research grant to expand our multimodal classroom research. The project budgeted $370,000 to support further research in student learning and faculty satisfaction with multimodal classroom designs and teaching strategies. The funds would be used to support EDLI salaries, a graduate assistant, and faculty participants in multimodal professional development. (Contact: Caitlin)
Software/Tools Evaluation and Acquisition/Sunset Project
This project attempts to address two aspects: 1) evaluating the effectiveness of educational software/tools in improving teaching and learning practices, and 2) software acquisition and support process (Innovation/Sunsetting Pathway).
Software Evaluation
In Fall 2021, Playposit was incorporated into five courses across three different subject areas (physiology, nursing, and statistics). Students’ perceptions and experiences of PlayPosit were examined through an anonymous survey containing both quantitative measures and open-ended questions. A total of 807 complete responses were returned.
Quantitative measures (5-point Likert type scale, ranging from 1 = Disagree to 5 = Agree):
- Q1. Having PlayPosit in the course videos enriched my learning experience in this course.
- Q2. PlayPosit in-video assessments are valuable in relation to my learning goals.
- Q3. The in-video assessments made the video content more engaging.
- Q4. I felt more motivated in the learning process by taking the in-video assessments.
- Q5. The in-video assessments helped with my understanding of relevant course content or concepts.
- Q6. I prefer PlayPosit questions over D2L quizzes to check my understanding of course content.
- Q7. I was able to better control the pace of my learning when going through interactive PlayPosit videos in this course.
- Q8. The instructor should keep using PlayPosit in this course.
Quantitative data by course area:
- Two physiology courses (N1 = 370)
- Two nursing courses (N2 = 58)
- One statistics course (N3 = 379)
Main findings across different course areas:
Students’ perceptions and experiences of PlayPosit were largely positive, particularly for those in the physiology courses (N1 = 370) and the statistics course (N3 = 379). However, students from the nursing courses (N2 = 58) reported mixed views on the effectiveness of the tool. Note that the low response rate from the nursing students indicated that this sample (N2 = 58) was not representative of the desired population. Thus, the results from the specific sample of nursing students should be interpreted with caution. (Contact: Jun)
Projects Engaging Campus Collaborators
Technology Loan Program:
The project is continuing to look at the overall approach to technology needs at the University and connecting various elements to create a system with fewer hurdles for students’ academic success. Developments in the three main components of the project include:
- Laptops to borrow – Currently Stephen, Caitlin, and Jun are working on developing a website and Qualtrics form that will allow students to apply to borrow a laptop from this program at the library.
- Laptop requirement description – Stephen is coordinating efforts between the APUE’s office and IT to develop an initial minimum laptop description to meet units’ educational experiences that will be presented to CUED for changes and approval.
- Easy purchase options – Scott is working with the MSU Computer Store to connect their “effortless” PC or Mac options to meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the University and then to communicate those products at NSO to increase the percentage of warrantied computers on campus.
EDLI Fellows Update
Math:
EDLI Faculty Fellows program consultants are currently working with a faculty member teaching an introductory math course (MATH 101) asynchronously online to implement and evaluate a structured support program for mitigating attrition among at-risk students. The support program is designed to 1) periodically reach out to each student in this course through learning assistants, 2) identify individual students’ needs and align their needs with relevant guidance and resources, and 3) develop relationships with students such that they could feel comfortable and related in the learning environment. To meaningfully support the over 550 students enrolled in the course, two learning assistants are specifically dedicated to carrying out support-related activities such as reaching out to their peers through emails, facilitating online help hours to students, as well as obtaining and communicating student voices back to the instructor. We are engaging with the faculty member and the graduate teaching assistant of the course to study the impact of the support program on students’ engagement and retention. Previous research suggested that effective learning experience in a single introductory STEM course was positively associated with student persistence in STEM majors (Gasiewski et al., 2012). As this MATH 101 course is a mandatory introductory course for undergraduate students across different majors, the results from this study has the potential to shed light on how to effectively support the engagement and retention of at-risk students in STEM subjects. (Contact: Jun and Stephen)
BioSci:
Continuing our work with the faculty fellow from the BioSci program, we have wrapped up the surveying phase of data collection, and currently are seeking IRB approval for using exam grades as another source of data. In the survey, students were asked to rate the perceived level of alignment between the regular class activities/assignments (e.g., discussions, homework) and higher-stake assessments (e.g., exams). Students from the course sections wherein equitable grading practices were implemented by the faculty fellow, reported a higher average level of perceived alignment (mean = 3.8, standard deviation = 1.242, N = 111) than that of the other sections (mean = 3.65, standard deviation = 1.242, N = 170). (Contact: Jun and Stephen)
Additional Grant Submission
EDLI submitted a nomination for the NSF DEI COVID Challenge award for its impact on undergraduate students in improving digital learning. We detailed EDLI’s work with individual faculty such as evaluating and improving student success in math, conducting validated mid-semester evaluations, and the collaborative laptop loan project. For that grant, Stephen developed a comic (see the next page) demonstrating the development and impact of EDLI.
